Molly and Tyla said “I do,” surrounded by their nearest and dearest at the charming Shed Collective. Their wedding day was a joyful celebration overflowing with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories. Every photo captures the couple beaming with happiness, embracing each beautiful moment together.
Molly wowed in Harlem by Maggie Sottero, a dreamy lace ball gown with a sheer sweetheart bodice, delicate off the shoulder illusion lace cap sleeves, a soft V-back, and a full tulle skirt that floated with every step. It was the perfect blend of romance and elegance.
We’re so excited to share a glimpse of their gorgeous day, and to hear from Molly herself about her experience with Astra Bridal and the journey to finding her dream dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
It made me feel like a fairy princess... it took everyone's breath away. The eight year old picturing her perfect wedding dress knew it was the one when I tried it on!
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
Our wedding was incredibly small, but one thing we were never going to go small on was THE DRESS. I’m one of those girls who dreamed of the perfect dress since I was a child. I had no idea what to expect from the wedding dress shopping experience, but my brother’s wife had recommended Astra Bridal after having a wonderful experience there.
I booked an appointment at the Newmarket store and brought along my mum, my bride’s mum, one of my best friends, and... despite the controversy, I had my wife attend as well! I couldn’t imagine making the decision without her there.
Brooke was our consultant, and she was just brilliant. She made me feel so calm and confident during our Zoom meeting the week prior. We were served bubbles and treated like absolute royalty! To be honest, it was a peak experience that made every other dress try-on elsewhere pale in comparison.
The first dress Brooke pulled was the one. We all knew it. Unfortunately, it was way too big and only available in blush, but I really wanted an ivory dress. Luckily for me, a few weeks later I found the dress in ivory and in my perfect size at their North Shore store. The amazing Sarah squeezed me in so I could try it on, and we ended up taking it that day. I didn’t even need any alterations! I was incredibly lucky, and it felt like fate.
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met in Wellington through mutual friends, and our love story began! It started as a slow burn, which is fairly unusual for a WLW relationship, but it allowed us to build a deep and powerful partnership. Our relationship has seen us through lockdown, moving into our own place, travelling Europe, and now settling down so we can work towards a future we’re both really excited about!
We were always unsure how we wanted to approach a proposal and a wedding and quickly realised that we could make our own rules. We designed our rings together and took them with us on our European adventure.
In Budapest, during a picnic at sunset in a park, it felt like the perfect moment. With every intention to enjoy a long engagement, the following year we had the pleasure of watching my brother get married and felt we couldn’t possibly wait any longer!
We did the unthinkable and planned a wedding in 2-3 months, and it was the dreamiest day, everything we could have ever wanted and more.
What was your favourite part of the day?
We got incredibly lucky with the weather (Auckland brides will understand. In fact, I bought some umbrellas from Facebook Marketplace from a bride who didn’t even need to unwrap them because her weather was perfect. I really felt like they were magical! I was so excited to pass them on to the next bride, still unwrapped).
The sun set while we enjoyed a delicious dinner outside and read speeches. Then the sky turned bright pink, so we enjoyed some first dances.
My wife and I planned a surprise for our parents: we played Father & Son by Cat Stevens while we danced with our dads, then Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA while we danced with our mums, before finishing with Sea of Love by Cat Power for our first dance. There were tears all around…
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
Originally, we wanted to elope, but our close friends and family really wanted to be a part of the day, and it really was special to have them there. We kept our guest list very small with parents, siblings, and three friends.
We started the day by going out to breakfast at our favourite café before heading over to my parents’ house to get ready with our mums. My amazing brother, sister in law, dad, and one of my best friends headed to the venue and set it all up for us. They did the most incredible job, and the venue looked absolutely fantastic. Once we had finished our hair and makeup, we travelled with our mums back to our home to get our wedding outfits on, and our wonderful photographer Olga joined us there for some photos. Our mums headed off, and we did a first look with our dads — so adorable. We all headed to the venue from there, where everyone was waiting at our ceremony. I’ll never forget standing at the front doors with my dad, taking a deep breath, and walking in. It was such a magical moment.
We had the most gorgeous ceremony with the same officiant that my brother and his wife used at their wedding. He personalised our ceremony so it was perfect for us, he even used words from our favourite spoken word poem, which made us all cry. (Also, Grayson, our officiant, took a scrap from my dress and put it in his bow tie, how cute is that!?) My sister was our ring bearer. We had our two best girlfriends sign our certificate and then headed outside to party! The sunset and the food were incredible. We were so fussed over by everyone, and not once did I have an empty glass. My wife curated the playlist, and it was top tier.
Overall, it was the most perfect day, and I wouldn’t change a thing...
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
You won’t regret spending money on a photographer (I cannot recommend Olga Bhana enough)!
